1. 9Lucy Dinh and Jenny Ly March 27, 2009
Japan
For our project our dream vacation, Lucy and I decided that we
would do Japan. The three cities we want to go travel would be Tokyo, and
Hokkaido, and Okinawa. First thing to know, is that Tokyo is Japan’s Capital City
and the Country’s Largest City. We spent our first night in Hokkaido in the
wonderful Kawanami Hotel!!! They had nightly fire works it was very hard to
comunitcate so we brought a japanese speaking dictionnary but when we got
there we came to know that some of the japanese staff spoke english! 50
bedrooms (TV and phone) - many with their own lavatories and toilets. Most are
Japanese-style (with tatami-mat floors and futons). Some are Western-style (with
beds). Various natural hot springs baths for men and for women,both indoor and
outdoor, are open 24-hours a day.
Full-service bar
Recreation room with table tennis and karaoke and pool room over all the
kawanami hotel was a great choice for Lucy and I to stay but here are some facts
or the history of Japan!During the yayoi (300 BC to 300 AD), the rice culture was
imported into Japan around 100 BC. With the introduction of agriculture, social classes
started to evolve, and parts of the country began to unite under powerful land owners.
Chinese travelers during the Han and Wei dynasties reported that a queen called Himiko
(or Pimiku) reigned over Japan at that time. The Yayoi period brought also the
introduction of iron and other modern ideas from Korea into Japan. Again, its pottery
gave the period its name.
By the beginning of the Konfu period (300 - 538), a center of power had developed in the
fertile Kinai plain, and by about 400 AD the country was united as Yamato Japan with its
political center in and around the province of Yamato (about today's Nara prefecture).
The period's name comes from the large tombs (kofun) that were built for the political
leaders of that era. Yamato Japan extended from Kyushu to the Kinai plain, but did not
yet include the Kanto, Tohoku and Hokkaido.
The emperor was ruler of Yamato Japan and resided in a capital that was moved
frequently from one city to another. However, the Soga clan soon took over the actual
political power, resulting in the fact that most of the emperors only acted as the symbol
of the state and performed Shinto rituals.

2. Due to friendly relations to the kingdom of Kudara (or Paikche) on the Korean peninsula,
the influence from the mainland increased strongly. Buddhism was introduced to Japan
in the year 538 or 552 and was promoted by the ruling class. Prince Shotoku is said to
have played an especially important role in promoting Chinese ideas. He also wrote the
Constitution of Seventeen Articles about moral and political principles. Also the theories
of Confucianism and Taoism, as well as the Chinese writing system were introduced to
Japan during the Yamato period.